Modi reaches out to Bihar Muslims, with Gujarat data

Quoting from Sachar report, BJP's PM candidate said Muslims had better social and economic indicators in his state than in Bihar.

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India Today Online

Patna

March 10, 2014

UPDATED: March 26, 2014 23:32 IST

Narendra Modi with Sushil Modi.

It was an unlikely turf where BJP PM nominee Narendra Modi chose to take on Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday.

Citing Sachar Committee statistics on Bihar and Gujarat, Modi said his government has done more for the welfare of Muslims than the Nitish Kumar government in Bihar.

"I want to tell the reality to the Muslim brothers of the country; how other parties have destroyed you for votes. I want to speak to you about facts," the Gujarat Chief Minister said at a rally in Purnia in Bihar.

"What I am going to tell you is not based on my data. These statistics are from the report of the Sachar Committee, appointed by the Congress government, which calls itself secular."

"The committee says 45 per cent urban Muslims are poor in Bihar while in Gujarat, which is often criticised (for mistreating Muslims), the figure is only 24 per cent - less than half," Modi said.

"The percentage of poor among rural Muslims is 38 in Bihar while it is just 7 in Gujarat. Those destroying Muslims in the name of secularism: you go drown yourselves," he said.

"The monthly spending by a Muslim in urban area is Rs 550 in Bihar while it is Rs 875 in Gujarat," he said.

Rural Muslims in Bihar spend Rs 426 per month while the figure is Rs 670 in Gujarat, he said. "Gujarat's secularism is real secularism that works for everyone's welfare."

"While literacy among Muslims is 42 per cent in Bihar, it is 74 per cent in Gujarat," he said.

Modi said infant morality among children of Muslims is 71 per 1,000 in Bihar while 34 in per 1,000 in his state.

Only 2 per cent children in Bihar benefited from the Integrated Child Development Scheme while in Gujarat, it was 32 per cent, he said.